Heating means for toilet seats, bedpans and the like



F. L. REA

May 23, 1961 HEATING MEANS FOR TOILET SEATS, BEDPANS AND THE LIKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 15, 1959 FRED L. REA

INVENTOR.

May 23, 1961 1 REA 2,985,742

HEATING MEANS FOR TOILET SEATS, BEDPANS AND THE LIKE Filed June 15. 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FRED L. REA F l G .5 INVENTOR.

F. L. REA

May 23, 1961 HEATING MEANS FOR TOILET SEATS, BEDPANS AND THE LIKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 15. 1959 FIG. 6

FRED L. REA INVENTOR.

United States Patent 2,985,742 HEATING MEANS FOR TOILET SEATS, BEDPANS AND THE LIKE Fred L. Rea, 121 W. Cherry St., Flagstaff, Arlz. Filed June 15, 1959, Ser. No. 820,509 3 Claims. (Cl. 219-46) This present invention relates in part to means for heating toilet seats and includes other defecation receptacles such as bedpans, chambers and the like. More specifically, my invention relates to a flexible heating pad wherein the electric wires providing the heat are first well insulated and then generously covered with padding so as to well defuse the local heating of the wires and produce a uniformly heated upper surface.

The heating pad is provided with means for securing it in place on a toilet seat or a bedpan and is further provided with a dielectric, waterproof covering to provide additional safety to the user and to insure a surface that can at all times be easily kept in a sanitary condition. A careful perusal of the various types of heating means employed for heating toilet seats does not disclose a readily detachable heating means that can be used satisfactorily on the full range of defecation containers. While it is desirable in many instances, particularly in the case of invalids and elderly people, to provide a toilet seat that is internally warmed, it is probably of greater importance to provide heating means that can be used on portable containers such as bedpans, chambers and the like.

without change on a wide range of toilets and containers so that a single unit can fully serve the needs of the average household where there are invalids and elderly persons, who cannot be moved to a toilet.

The principal object of my present invention therefore is to provide a flexible heating pad that is equipped with resiliently mounted hooks adapted to engage the wall of the opening as in a toilet seat, bedpan and the like. This insures that the pad cannot slip from the areas where it is most needed and further insures that it can fit a wide range of defecation containers without change or adjustment of the hook securing means.

A further object of this invention is to provide a heating pad having a plurality of thermostats to the end that a graduation in temperature can be provided between the central opening and the margins of the pad.

A further object is to provide a heating pad employing low temperature heating cables and to provide a generous amount of padding so that the wires will not be discernible when the pad is sat upon, as in use.

A further object is to provide a heating pad in which adequate provision is made for electrical safety and for the preservation of the pad in a sanitary condition.

Further objects, advantages and capabilities will be apparent from the description and disclosure in the drawings, or may be comprehended or are inherent in the device.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing how my pad may be used to provide heat comfort to a person using a conventional toilet.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the lower side of my heating pad and illustrating the resiliently mounted hooks employed to secure my pad in place, as on a toilet or bedpan. Shown in dashed lines are the normal working position of the hook members and also the elastic means to position the pad with respect to the hooks once they are engaged.

Figure 3 is a plan view of my heating pad with the upper or heavily padded portion entirely removed so as to better show the placement of the heating wires and In my present heating means I have a unit it is believed that can be readily employed the thermostats which make it possible to give graduated heating temperatures to the pad.

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken along the line 44 of Figure 3 but assuming that the pad is fully assembled.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary elevation in section of a bedpan and showing the employment of a plastic sanitary shield used to insure against contaminating the heating pad.

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view through my heating pad and showing the same as secured to the seat of a toilet.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 in vertical section but showing my device as it is secured to the conventional bedpan without any need for adjustment.

Figure 8 is a perspective view on enlarged scale illustrating a preferred type of an adjustable thermostat used with my present equipment.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary view with the covering broken away to show the manner in which my heating cables are secured in place to prevent shifting incidental to rolling up the pad for storage and the like.

Referring to the drawings throughout which like reference characters indicate like parts, the numeral 10 designates the upper cover and 12 the lower cover of my heating pad. These are made of flexible dielectric material which will serve, first to house the elements of my heating pad, secondly to provide maximum security against current leakage, that might be disturbing to the persons using the pad, and finally to provide an outer surface that will make it possible to maintain the pad in a clean, sanitary condition. Materials best serving this present need can be found in the various synthetics which have the properties noted and which may be easily joined together, preferably by pressure sensitive adhesives, as is indicated at 14. The outer margin of my pad is preferably rectangular, after the general showing of Figures 1, 2 and 3. The substantially centrally disposed opening 20 has a similarly sealed margin and this provides a thin lip 15 as it only contains the thickness of the material of the upper cover, the lower cover and the adhesive. Under most conditions of use this thin margin is bent downwardly into opening 20, tending to provide drainage into the toilet orbedpan and also tending to arrest any splashing of water and the like before it contacts the user.

Detailed construction of my pad will probably be clearest from Figure 4, which shows an enlarged sectional view as along the line 4-4 of Figure 3. Here it will be noted that various feed and control wires are provided at 24, 26 and 28. These are strictly feeding wires of high conductivity and, as a result, do not themselves become hot or require unusual protection as their normal insulation is adequate. These Wires feed the circuits made up of the heating wires shown generally at 30. Wires 30 are resistance wires, which are spring wound in keeping with the construction of heating wires of this general type, to be chosen with a resistance such that they will be in the classification normally described as black heating wires wherein the temperatures are not sufficient to make the wires glow. Such wires are the safest to use in a device of this order and insures that the pad can be left on for long periods without danger of becoming overheated and causing fires. It has been found most desirable to keep the pad at a reasonably warm temperature during all periods of expected use so that there will be no delay in warming up the pad even with the lower temperature heating wires, when the same is needed for use. Wires 30 are wrapped with electrical insulation, preferably of the type providing very little thermo-insulation so that maximum dissipation of heat can be effected.

Under the heating and supply wires is provided thin stiif padding 40. The real purpose of this padding is to protect the wires from kinking, which might cause them to break after the pad has been repeatedly rolled up for storage purposes. The padding should be of a type ofi'ering protection against electrical leakage but permitting reasonable heat dissipation so that, particularly in the case of bed pans, the metal of the pan will be warmed and thus add materially to the comfort of the user." A fabric membrane is provided at 42 to complete'the encasing of insulation or padding .40. Above the heating wires 30 and the feed wires as 24, 26 and 28, a shaped pad 44 of a generous thickness is provided. The preferred form of this padding is one that will have substantially annular grooves 46 which tend to bridge over the heavy wires and then between the wires to provide supporting portions 48 so that the upper surface of the pad 50 will normally show a smooth surface which maybe compressed without the user being able to feel the wires. 1

The electrical circuit is shown in Figure 3; a conventional pronged plug 54 makes contact with the normal home lighting circuit and the current passes through a controlling switch 56, which may be set for different heats as indicated. The current passes from switching means 56 to a plurality of thermostats as 48 6 0, 62 and 64. These thermostats insure the maintenance of predetermined temperatures at different portions of the pad and serve as interrupters of the current in case of damage or short circuiting at any point. For the sake of clarity of illustration, thermostats 58 and 60 have been shown with the insulation, in which they are normally encased, ,removed. Thermostats 62 and 64 are shown with the normal covering of insulation which also serves to a degree as paddingso that the presence of the'thermostats will not be objectionable. It has further been found desirable to place the four thermostats as indicated in the four corners of the pad so that there will never be an occasion where the user of the pad would sit on one of the thermostats. In Figure 8 a typical thermostat of the type found satisfactory is shown, the same being greatly enlarged. The thermostat is placed in a single wire circuit by interrupting the wires as 28 and 28a. 7 Wire 28 is normally secured to plate 29 which has thecontact point 31 secured to it. Wire 2811, which is the input wire is secured to a bimetallic thermostat strip 33. This strip may be adjusted to open the circuit at various temperatures by the adjusting screw 35. Plates 29 and 33 are normally insulated from each other and form contact only by ineans of the contact point 31. i

Referring .to Figure 2, it will be noted that a plurality of hooks are employed. These hooks, of which four appear to be the preferred number, are slidably positioned midway on bights of elastic cord as 72 which is fixedly secured to the pad at points 74. The usual position of the hooks, in use, indicated in Figure 2 indashed lines.

Referring to Figures 6 and 7, it will be noted that hooks .70 are easily secured to the inner rim of the opening as 7 6 in a toilet seat 77 or in the opening 78 in the regulation form of bedpan 80. It will be apparent it is believed that the hooks might also be employed with other containers such as the conventional chamber and the like. It is desired to bring out that one of the advantages of having the hooks engage the inner surface of the opening, rather than the outer margin of the toilet seat is that the pad can thus be readily adapted to a wide range of containers and in each case will hold the pad in the preferred position for use.

In Figure 9, which is a fragmentary view showing a portion of the pad, the surfaces and padding are broken away sufliciently to show typical heating wires as 30 which are preferably cross stitched to fabric 42, as at 43, so that the wires will be held spaced apart from each other and in the desired position with respect ;to the mar gins of the pad. t

Referring to Figure 5, a preferred form of sanitary shield is illustrated generally at 82. Shield 82 maybe made of any nonabsorbent sheet material as treated paper, sheet plastic and the like and preferably is made of two principal sheets '84 and 86 which are sewed or adhesively secured together at 87 to form an opening margin which will be slightly smaller than the opening in a toilet seat or bedpan. Material should be available to form the vertical substantially cylindrical wall 88. Plastic sheet material will usually stretch su-fiiciently but treated paper shields may need to be provided with gussets of additional material as indicated at 90. In Figure 5 it will be noted that portion 86 of the shield 82 is caught by books 70 where they engage the lip 78 of the bedpan. A similar engagement would take place on the lip of a toilet seat. This arrangement anchors the shield in place so it will not be displaced during use.

It is believed that it will be clearly apparent from the above description and the disclosure in the drawings that the invention comprehends a novel construction of a heating means for toilet seats, bedpans and the like.

Having thus disclosed the invention, I claim:

1. An electric heating pad for toilet seats, bedpans and the like, comprising: a rectangular pad having an upper cover and a lower cover made of flexible dielectric material, each having a central opening of approximately the size of the opening in a toilet seat; said'upper and said lower covers secured together around their outer margins and around the margins of said central openings; electric heating wires for said pad, disposed around said central opening and in spaced relationship from each other; adjustable thermostatic means operatively secured to said wires disposed in said rectangular pad and adapted to control the temperature of said pad; a plurality of hooks secured to said pad and adapted to engage the rim of the opening in a toilet seat or bedpan, said hooks being adjustably positioned on bights of elastic cord, said elastic cord being continuous and secured adjacent the corners of said heating pad and means for positioning said heating wires in said pad.

2. An electric heating pad for toilet seats, bedpans and the like, comprising: a rectangular pad having an upper cover and a lower cover made of flexible dielectric material, each having a central opening of approximately the size of the opening in a toilet seat, the manner of securing said upper and lower covers together consisting of joining them together around the central opening in a manner to provide a thin lip of considerable width; said lip being downwardly directed to provide drainage into the toilet or bedpan and a splash baflie especially when used on a bedpan; electric heating wires for said pad disposed around said central opening and in spaced relationship from each other; adjustable thermostatic means, operatively secured to said wires, disposed in said rectangular pad and adapted to control the temperature of said pad; a plurality of hooks secured to said pad and adapted to engage the rim of the opening in a toilet seat or bedpan and means for positioning said heating wires in said pad.

3. The combination according to claim 2 further provided with a sanitary shield made of nonabsorbent sheet material having two sheets joined below said lip to form a substantially vertical wall extending below the inner rim of said seat and having an opening slightly smaller than the opening in said toilet seat, the lowermost of said sheets disposed in contact with said seat and secured thereto by said hooks.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,447,031 Newell Feb. 27, 1923 2,138,745 Pecker Nov. 29, 1938 2,705,495 Vrana et al. Apr. 5, 1955 2,706,767 Packchanian Apr. 19, 1955 2,715,674 Abbott et al. .d Aug. 16, 1955 2,771,537 Lichtenstein Nov. 20, 1956 2,773,167 Arbaugh Dec. 4, 1956 

